Thursday 26 November 2020
Wednesday 25 November 2020
Wong Hon Wai called Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to explain why foreign workers 55% approvals were from special applications
TheVibes / 25 November, 2020
Wong Hon Wai calls on Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to explain why special approvals were given to 'mediators' and not through normal procedures set at that time.
KUALA LUMPUR – Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai of DAP today called for an investigation into five lawmakers and a former Dewan Rakyat speaker following the report by the Public Accounts Committee yesterday on government systems built to oversee and handle foreign workers.
Wong said in a statement today that assemblymen Datuk Seri Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas) and Mohd Yusof Mohd Nor (BN-Sg Dua), MPs Tan Sri Noh Omar (BN-Tanjung Karang) and Datuk Masir Kujat (PSB-Sri Aman), and former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin were mentioned in the PAC report.
Wong also named Umno president and Bagan Datuk MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was home minister at that time, to explain why special approvals were given to “mediators” and not through normal procedures set at that time.
“I am asking the auditor-general to reveal the names of the ‘mediators’ involved. The names mentioned (in the PAC report) are only the tip of the iceberg,” said Wong.
“The PAC has nine recommendations. Among them includes Item 8.3, which is of the view that ‘mediators’ should not exist in the application of foreign worker quotas to the home minister.”
He also backed the PAC recommendation for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter.
The PAC report said 512,315 quotas were approved through special applications to the home minister compared to 416,510 quotas issued under the normal system from 2016 to 2018.
The systems involved were the Human Resources Ministry’s Integrated Foreign Workers Management System and the Home Ministry’s MyIMMs database.
Yesterday, The Vibes also reported that based on the PAC findings, stolen ICs were used to create fake quotas in MyIMMS.
Also found were the high approval of special applications for foreign worker quotas in frozen sub-sectors that were exclusively for Malaysians.
The PAC report shows that out of the 928,825 foreign quota approvals, 55% were from special applications while 45% were done through normal procedures.
Wong Hon Wai meminta kelima-lima mereka memberikan penjelasan berkenaan keterlibatan mereka dalam permohonan khas untuk pekerja asing.
FMT news / 25 November, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: Seorang Ahli Parlimen pembangkang mendakwa beberapa ahli politik terlibat sebagai ‘pengantara’ untuk membawa masuk pekerja asing dengan kelulusan khas.
Memetik laporan Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) ke atas isu itu baru-baru ini, Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) menyeru mereka tampil menjelaskan penglibatan mereka.
Wong pada sidang media di Parlimen hari ini menamakan lima Ahli Parlimen dan ADUN itu, tetapi FMT tidak menamakan mereka sementara menunggu pengesahan.
“Saya meminta kelima-lima mereka memberikan penjelasan berkenaan keterlibatan mereka dalam permohonan khas untuk pekerja asing. Permohonan khas untuk pekerja asing ini bukan untuk upah pembantu rumah. Kalau itu, barangkali kita boleh pertimbangkan, tetapi ini untuk mendapatkan puluhan, ratusan pekerja asing,” katanya.
Wong berkata ‘pengantara’ dalam pengambilan pekerja asing menulis surat kepada menteri dalam negeri untuk mendapat kelulusan khas untuk kuota pekerja asing “tidak melalui saluran biasa”.
Beliau berkata sebanyak 512,315 daripada 928,825, bersamaan 55%, diluluskan, berbanding 416,510 yang diluluskan melalui sistem biasa, antara 2016 dan 2018.
Beliau menggesa mereka yang dinamakan dalam penemuan ketua audit negara tentang pengambilan pekerja asing dalam laporan itu mendedahkan ‘pengantara’ lain, mengatakan “masih banyak lagi nama yang tidak disebut” selain lima wakil rakyat itu.
Semalam, PAC mengatakan wujudnya kelemahan sistem berkaitan pengurusan pekerja asing, susulan siasatan ke atas penemuan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) tahun 2018 Siri 1.
Wong Hon Wai called Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to explain why he had given so many special approvals
Malaysiakini / 25 November, 2020
Labour Dept sources: Migrant workers influx due to special approval 'brokers'
Brokers who helped companies secure special approvals to bring in migrant workers are part of the country's immigration problem, sources in the Labour Department said.
These workers then end up in jobs that they were not approved for, the sources said.
Yesterday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed that companies had been using middlepersons to lobby the home minister for special approvals to bring in migrant workers.
According to the PAC's transcripts, some of those intermediaries were senior politicians, namely, former deputy home minister Masir Kujat, former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and Tanjong Karang MP Noh Omar.
Others named were Kok Lanas assemblyperson Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad and Sungai Dua assemblyperson Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Nor.
Combined with approvals made by a special committee, there were 512,315 special approvals given from 2016 to 2018.
This is compared to 416,510 approvals issued through the Immigration Department's job clearing system (JCS) quota.
Masir was still deputy home minister between 2016 and May 2018.
Masir Kujat
"You can say that there are quarters who acted as brokers to get these (special) approvals," the Labour Department sources told Malaysiakini.
"This is among the reasons there's an influx of migrant workers in the country," they added.
The special approvals were supposed to be a mechanism for companies to appeal rejected applications for migrant worker permits.
However, according to the Labour Department sources, there was little oversight on the matter.
"Because this is the authority of the home minister, there is no check and balance, and some (employers) bypass the screening process by using these special approvals.
"The implication on the workers is that the Labour Department doesn't know who their employers are," they added.
The sources said companies that use such tactics usually don't submit reports to the department on their employment of migrants.
Companies that obtain special approval then supply the migrant workers to different jobs than what they applied for, they added.
"For example, (companies applied for workers) under cleaning services, but supply them to factories instead.
"These employers that supply the workers get monthly payments as outsourcing companies do, but without the licence," the sources said.
Meanwhile, Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai called on Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - who was home minister between 2016 and May 2018 - to explain why he had given so many special approvals.
"I ask Zahid to state the reasons he gave the special approvals to mediators, instead of going through the regular process," Wong was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
He also asked the five politicians named in the PAC report as middlepersons to explain their actions.
Wong also called on the National Audit Department to reveal if there were other politicians who acted as intermediaries in securing special approvals from the home minister.
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/552485?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
Wong Hon Wai ask five MPs and assemblymen to explain their involvement in the special application for foreign workers
FMT / 25 November, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition MP has alleged that several high-ranking politicians were involved as middlemen who brought foreign workers into the country through special approvals.
Citing the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report on the issue recently, Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) called on them to come forward and explain their involvement.
Wong named five MPs and assemblymen at a press conference at Parliament today, but FMT is withholding their names until it can get confirmation.
“I ask them to explain their involvement in the special application for foreign workers. They did not submit applications to just hire a foreign maid. We could still accept that, but this is not the case. This is to bring in tens, hundreds of foreigners,” he said.
Wong said the middlemen in the recruitment of foreign workers had written letters to the home affairs minister for special approvals to “circumvent existing regulations”.
He said they made up 55% or 512,315 of the total of 928,825 approvals, compared with 416,510 applications that were approved through the normal system, between 2016 and 2018.
He urged those involved in the auditor-general’s findings on the intake of foreign workers in the “2018 Series 1” report to name the middlemen, adding that the five could just be the “tip of the iceberg”.
Yesterday, PAC had revealed several weaknesses in the government’s management of foreign workers, following its investigation into the findings of the auditor-general’s report.
Its chairman, Wong Kah Woh, said in addition to the existence of middlemen, the report had highlighted the granting of too many special approvals to circumvent existing regulations, and the entry of foreign workers who had failed their medical examinations.
黄汉伟要求阿末扎希解释发放特别批准给中介的原因
Malaysiakini / 25 November,2020
移工“特批”原是上诉机制，无制衡下遭滥用
国会公账会昨天揭露内政部在中介游说下，两年内滥发逾50万张移民工作准证后，劳工局消息人士直陈，这些代理人及所滥用的“特别批准”，乃国内移工问题的祸根。
劳工局消息人士向《当今大马》指出，这种乱像也导致许多移工来马后，最终从事的工作并非当初所申请和批准的工作。
国会公账会昨日发布报告，揭露不少公司利用中间人拉拢内政部，以“特别准证”方式引入移工。
报告揭露，这些中间人包括多名资深政治领袖，如前内政部副部长兼砂州全民团结党斯里阿曼国会议员玛瑟古札（Masir Kujat）、前下议院议长班迪卡阿敏，及前国安部副部长兼巫统丹绒加弄国会议员诺奥玛。
其余被点名的政治人物还包括：巫统格拉那（Kok Lanas）州议员莫哈末阿威（Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad）和巫统双溪赖州议员莫哈末尤索夫（Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Nor）。
所批数量多于正常管道
根据公账会统计，从2016至2018年之间，政府一共发出51万2315张特别准证，远比移民局的“工作媒合系统”（JCS）批准的41万6510项申请还多。
消息说明，“你可以说有些人透过担任中介，取得这些（特别）批准。”
“这就是国家移民人数泛滥的原因之一。”
这些“特别批准”原本是上诉机制，让申请移民工作证失败的公司可以申诉和再争取。
无制衡上诉机制遭滥用
然而，根据劳工局消息人士表示，这个上诉机制似乎不受管制。
“因为这属于内政部长的权限，没有任何监督制衡，一些（雇主）就利用特别批准来绕过筛查程序。”
“而这损害了移工，导致劳工局不知道他们的雇主是谁。”
消息人士也说明，滥用特别批准的公司都没有呈交必要的聘雇移工报告，而他们在得手后，会把移工分配到不同的工作岗位，完全无视移工当初的申请。
“举个例子，（公司原本为移工）申请清洁工，但最后却把他们送到工厂。”
消息人士也揭露，这些负责提供移工的雇主，每月都能得到“薪资”。
阿末扎希受促交代问题
另一方面，行动党升旗山国会议员黄汉伟促请巫统主席阿末扎希，向外界交代为何在对方担任内政部长时期批准了这么多的特别准证。
阿末扎希是在2016年至2018年5月之间担任内政部长。
《新海峡时报》报道，黄汉伟要求阿末扎希列出发放特别批准给中介的原因。
他亦促请其余遭公账会点名的5名政治人物，解释自己的行径。
此外，他要求总稽查署，若有其他政治人物充当中介，也应该揭露他们的身份。
公账会的调查报告主要是追踪《2018年总稽查司报告·第一系列》（Laporan Ketua Audit Negara Tahun 2018 Siri 1) 所提及的事项。不过，总稽查司报告里并没有直接点名任何人。
公账会认为，这种“特别批准”的制度并不健康，应该谨慎用于合理的上诉或内阁批准的国家特别计划。特定领域不允许聘用移工，那么政府制度就不应允许例外。
根据公账会，2016年至2018年之间，政府为这些原本不允许聘用移工的领域，批准了2万2901张移工工作准证，影响本地工人的权益。
Wong Hon Wai urged Zahid Explain Foreign Workers' 'Special Approvals'
New Straits Times / 25 November, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: Over half a million "special approvals" were issued between 2016 and 2018 for foreign workers' admission into the country and former home minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi must provide an explanation for the alarming figure.
Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) urged Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk member of parliament, to explain himself on the matter.
This is regarding the recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report which found that out of the 928,825 approvals given for foreign workers' entry, 512,315 or 55 per cent of it were through "special approvals".
"I ask Zahid, who was the home minister at the time, to state the reasons he gave the special approval power to mediators instead of going through the regular process.
"What is the justification for giving 55 per cent special approvals and only 45 per cent were normal approvals.
"I would also like to ask the Auditor (General's office) to reveal the names of all mediators because the (10) names mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg," he said in a press conference at Parliament.
To make matters worse, the PAC also revealed that a number of the special approvals were given via middlemen to foreign workers despite many of them having failed the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) inspection.
According to the PAC, five out of the 10 middlemen identified were politicians.
They were former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, Tan Sri Noh Omar (BN-Tanjung Karang), Datuk Masir Kujat (GPS-Sri Aman), Kok Lanas assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad and Sungai Dua assemblyman Muhammad Yusof Mohd Nor.
"Since the names of these five people's representatives are mentioned in the PAC report, which is a public document published by the Parliament itself, I would like to ask all five of them to provide explanations on their involvement in the special approvals for foreign workers," Wong added.
Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), who was also present at the press conference, challenged Noh Omar to give an immediate explanation on his involvement in the matter.
"In an interview with Astro Awani yesterday, Noh Omar said he disagrees with political appointments.
"He sounded so 'suci' (pure) when he said this but now we see his name as one of the middlemen. Walk the talk and explain," he said.
黄汉伟促请时任内政部长拿督斯里阿末扎希透过“仲介”特别申请外劳对此事作出解释
东方日报 / 25 November, 2020
（吉隆坡25日讯）国会公共账目委员会昨日揭露内政部批准透过“仲介”特别申请外劳固打人数，比起正常管道的申请还来高，数名行动党国会议员今日促请时任内政部长拿督斯里阿末扎希对此事作出解释。
升旗山国会议员黄汉伟今日在记者会上，引用公账会报告表示，在92万8825项获批准的申请中，有55%是特别申请，45%是正常管道申请，背后是什么原因？
他指出，公账会揭露10名“仲介”，其中有5名是国会议员，即是巫统格拉那州议员拿督莫哈末阿威、双溪赖州议员莫哈末尤索夫、国会下议院前任议长丹斯里班迪卡、巫统丹绒加弄国会议员丹斯里诺奥玛和全民团结党斯里阿曼国会议员拿督玛瑟古占。
他促请他们解释个中原因。“我也要求公账会公布所有‘仲介’的名字，因为相信上述人士只是冰山一角。”
马六甲市国会议员邱培栋也补充，诺奥玛在接受《Astro Awani》的访问时，信誓旦旦表示，不赞同政治委任官联公司职务，但他要如何解释自己是其中一名外劳固打申请程序的“仲介”。
公账会针对外劳管制，向国会做出9项建议，包括废除及要求反贪污委员会调查“仲介”，以及促警方尽速完成移民局出入境系统（MyIMMs）的调查。
该委员会主席黄家和指出，经调查，委员会发现在申请外劳固打方面，仲介的角色明显违反现有的系统，因此该员会要求反贪会介入。
“此外，MyIMMs被滥用，显示其漏洞明显，自2017年起，共有20宗相关的警方投报，惟调查迄今没有结果。”
https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/nation/2020/11/25/377416
Thursday 19 November 2020
Sunday 15 November 2020
Thursday 12 November 2020
黄汉伟提问联邦政府的政策是否容许，后座议员持股的公司在未经公开招标下获得合约
Malaysiakini / 12 November, 2020
TC Sens获交部两合约，廖中莱称不懂黄日升持股
国会公账会揭露，交通部2015年的两项直接协商工程可能存有猫腻。唯时任交通部长兼前马华总会长廖中莱表示，他不晓得同党的丹绒比艾国会议员黄日升是获得相关合约的公司股东之一。
根据公账会2019年3月27日听证会的逐字纪录，廖中莱到听证会上供证时，公账会成员询问廖中莱，是否知道黄日升当时持有TC Sens有限公司的25%股权。
廖中莱则答说：“我（当时）不晓得谁是公司的股东。我们没深谈到这点。”
较关心能否执行任务TC Sens有限公司成功获得利润丰厚的道路收费系统（RC）及外国车辆入境准证（VEP）系统的合约。
当时，廖中莱是马华总会长也是交通部长，而黄日升（见下图）则是马华票选中委。
廖中莱解释，颁发合约给TC Sens公司不是他个人的决定，时任交通部技术委员会已审核该公司的建议书，并获得财政部长批准。
当时的财政部长是时任首相纳吉。
TC Sens公司赢得价值1亿4500万令吉的合约，以落实一项向入境大马的新加坡车辆征收20令吉的系统。
在听证会上，行动党怡保东区国会议员黄家和（上图）告诉廖中莱，黄日升在TC Sens公司享有利益。
黄家和认为，部长应谨慎评估争取巨额合约的公司背景。
但廖中莱表示，他较关心有关公司能否完成任务。
“只要他们符合我们的要求......（以及）能够执行这项（计划）。”
不满企图破坏其形象
行动党升旗山国会议员黄汉伟接着提问，联邦政府当时的政策是否容许，后座议员持股的公司在未经公开招标下获得合约。
廖中莱回答说，“主席先生（罗纳建迪），我不懂有这个政策，但我认为这个问题怀有恶意，因为试图作出破坏我的形象之结论，并影响我履行部长职务时的诚信。”
“若真如此，我保留采取法律行动的权利。”
黄汉伟欲继续追问，唯时任国会公账会主席罗纳建迪（Ronald Kiandee，下图）制止说，该问题较适合由财长来解答。
隐名伙伴没参与运作
黄日升曾在2019年9月3日向公账会供证，他当时并非丹绒比艾国会议员。他在2018年的全国大选中落败，之后才在2019年11月16日的丹绒比艾补选重夺该席位，目前则在国盟政府担任种植与原产业部副部长。
黄日升供证时强调，自己纯粹是一名隐名合伙人，没参与TC Sens公司的运作。尽管如此，他知道TC Sens公司的伙伴陈健双（Tan Chean Suan，译音）有兴趣竞标公司的计划。
根据黄日升，他跟陈健双认识超过10年。他也知道另一位名为罗斯兰（Roslan Ramli）的股东，但不认识另一名股东米占（Mizan Zaini）。
“（他们）曾告诉我，他们可能要参与政府的计划，但他们必须参与竞争。我告诉他们，‘那你们就去竞争吧’（you fight-lah），因为这是公司的业务，没牵涉到我。我只是一名股东。”
“就让公司去竞争，而有关竞争须符合政府的正当程序。”
不曾从相关合约获益
黄日升指出，陈健双当初献议他在一家“资讯科技公司”投资25%股权。所以，他就为缴足资本10万令吉的TC Sens公司投入2万5000令吉。
“我信任我的朋友，仅此而已。我不懂生意......他献议（我投资），我就付25%，然后如果有获利，要是情况允许的话，我们将获得盈利。就是这样罢了。”
尽管如此，他声称，自己不曾通过TC Sens公司跟交通部的合约获益。相反的，他在2018年5月大选后在未获得任何付款下交出股权，亏损了2万5000令吉的投资额。
他说，由于据称政府停止付款给TC Sens公司，该公司当时面临亏损，并难以为员工支薪。
罗纳建迪：好吧，你不曾从该公司获得任何好处？
黄日升：没有。什么东西都没有。
黄家和：包括你的2万5000令吉？
黄日升：没有。
黄家和：没有？
黄日升：亏掉了！
大选后免费退还股权
黄日升之后恼火地告知罗纳建迪，他出席听证会是为了讨论RC/VEP计划，不是他个人的生意来往。唯罗纳建迪解释，国会公账会正研究是否存有利益冲突。
黄日升接着抗议说，有关听证会对他不怀好意。
“有国会议员没经商的吗？一些人是有做生意的。为何你要对我作出假设呢？你企图妄下结论。”
不过，黄家和回应说，公账会正尝试弄清事件的原委。
无论如何，公账会成员仍继续追问下去。公正党格拉纳再也（现改名为梳邦）国会议员黄基全指出，由于TC Sens公司赢得1亿4500万令吉的合约，以致公司的估价不菲，黄日升兑现股权时理应赚了一大笔钱。
黄日升（上图）解释，2018年大选后，TC Sens公司因无力为员工支薪，而要求他投入更多资金。结果，他决定放弃及免费退回股权。
“我告诉他们，我无能为力了。拜托一下，你们拿回（股权就好）。如果你们要找别人或其它资金，自己看着办吧。政府没付款，我也无能为力。”
不曾安排会见廖中莱
黄日升向公账会保证，他不曾安排TC Sens公司的管理层跟时任交通部长廖中莱会面。
他也表示，TC Sens公司不曾参与丹绒比艾选区的任何企业社会责任计划。
不过，公账会成员似乎不满意而继续刺探。黄日升最终放软姿态说，陈健双曾一度要求他引介认识参与“一带一路”计划的企业界人士。
此时，公账会成员质问，黄日升何止是一名隐名合伙人。结果，黄日升再度抗议说，他确实没参与公司的运作，也对做生意一窍不通。
当黄基全询问黄日升的教育背景时，他说，自己持有工商管理的学士学位，但由于全职从政，故对经商毫无概念。
不曾涉及马华的事务
TC Sens公司的大股东陈健双（又名Kenneth Tan）曾在2019年10月23日向公账会供证。他解释，其公司是在2013年至2014年期间参与RC/VEP计划的征求计划书（RFP）。
当询及征求计划书的程序、政府的目标或指南、以及TC Sens公司提呈计划书给谁等问题时，陈健双似乎回答得有点勉强。
比如，陈健双表示，他提呈计划书到位于一间“旧建筑物”的“陆路交通局”分局，但不记得是谁接领。他要求，翻查公司的文件来找答案。
他也说，其公司某天收到了政府要求出示“概念验证”（proof of concept）的电邮，而这就是他们获得合约的方式。
陈健双也否认，他曾针对该计划书接洽廖中莱。
“我没参与马华公会的任何事务。我不曾踏入马华的党所，所以，我不认识马华的任何人。”
盼参与一带一路生意
陈健双之后向公账会证实，他在10多年前就认识黄日升，当时后者是青年与体育部副部长。
根据公账会，陈健双是在28岁成立TC Sens公司。陈健双指出，他持有文凭学历及是一名活跃的商家。他在2008年和2009年期间是一名分包商，并曾为内政部供应1500万个光盘的射频识别（RFID）标签。
询及为何邀请黄日升入股TC Sens公司，他说，这跟一带一路的倡议有关。
“我们不要生意牵涉到任何所谓的政治。所以，我们不是为此找他加入。我们尝试要求他，向我们引介一带一路的生意。”
“这是因为当时一带一路非常火红。我们尝试在海外开拓更多生意。因此，我们只是要他介绍给我们认识而已。当他加入时，他只是作为一名隐名合伙人，或不参与业务的股东而已。”
公正党地不佬国会议员锺少云未感到信服。他说，没有人会投资一家没有业绩纪录的公司。他也点出，陈健双只有文凭学历，没有软件工程的经验。
锺少云：这家公司有什么潜能？我没看到有任何潜能。
陈健双：我们的潜能在于射频识别。我告诉你了，我们有很好的科技。好的系统。如果你要谈学历，我不认同。那些百万富翁又怎么说？比如马云？他没有接受很好的教育，但他在生意上取得成功。尊贵的，你不能对我进行人身攻击，说我受的教育不够好......很多生意人，他们也没接受很好的教育，但他们在经商上有很好的点子。
陈健双表示，他曾向黄日升解释该公司的潜能，而对方信服。
询及TCSens公司的前股东米查尔（Mizal，艺名AC Mizal），他表示，不懂对方已在2011年加入巫统。
他解释，自己是通过罗斯兰结识米查尔，因为他们俩的孩子在同一间学校上课。
公账会最终总结说，政府没充分理由绕过公开招标，而直颁RC/VEP计划的合约。
他们也发现，政府通过直接协商委任RC/VEP系统承包商的过程，含有政治影响，并敦促反贪会介入调查。
昨天，社青团已到吉隆坡反贪会投报，要求彻查此案。
可在此阅读完整的公账会报告。
Wong Hon Wai asked whether the federal government's policy allowed for backbenchers to have a stake in a company vying for a government contract without an open tender process.
Malaysiakini / 12 November, 2020
Lucrative VEP contract: Liow oblivious of MCA colleague's interest
Former transport minister Liow Tiong Lai was unaware that his fellow party member was a shareholder of a firm that won a lucrative contract from his ministry in 2015, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard.
According to the transcript of the PAC's hearing on March 27, 2019, Liow was asked whether, as the transport minister, he knew that Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng owned a 25 percent stake at the time when TCSens Sdn Bhd won the lucrative reciprocal charge-vehicle entry permit (RC/VEP) contract.
At the material time, Liow (photo, above) was the president of MCA while Wee was an elected central committee member of the party.
"I don't have knowledge of the shareholders in the company (at the time). We didn't dwell into that," Liow testified.
He said that the decision to award the contract to TCSens was not his alone and that the Transport Ministry's technical committee had vetted the company's proposal and it had received the green light from the finance minister.
At the time, the finance minister was Najib Abdul Razak, who was also prime minister.
Wee Jeck Seng
Wee had a 25 percent stake in TCSens, which won the right to the RM145 million contract to implement a system to collect RM20 from Singaporean vehicles entering Malaysia.
Liow's knowledge of Wee's involvement in TCSens was raised by Wong Kah Woh (DAP-Ipoh Timur) who went on to suggest that it would be prudent for a minister to run a background check on a company vying for such a lucrative contract.
To this, Liow said that his concern was whether the company could do the job.
"As long as they match our requirement... (and) would be able to implement that (project)," he said.
Wong Hon Wai (DAP-Bukit Bendara) then asked whether the federal government's policy at the time allowed for backbenchers to have a stake in a company vying for a government contract without an open tender process.
"Mr Chairperson (Ronald Kiandee, Bersatu-Beluran), I am not aware of this policy but I think that the question was posed in bad faith - to reach a conclusion that will affect my image and also my integrity in performing my duties as a minister.
"If that happens, I reserve my right to take legal action," Liow said.
Ronald Kiandee
Hon Wai pressed Liow further, but Kiandee eventually put a stop to it, saying that the finance minister was the appropriate person to answer that question.
Wee was called as a witness on Sept 3, 2019. At the time, he was not the Tanjung Piai MP because he lost the seat during the 2018 general election. He won it back in the Tanjung Piai by-election on Nov 16, 2019.
Wee began his testimony by stressing that he was not involved in the TCSens operations and was only a sleeping partner. He said he was aware that his partner at TCSens - who he named as Kenneth Tan, a person he had known for more than a decade - was keen on bidding for government projects.
Wee said he knew another shareholder by the name of Roslan Ramli but not the other shareholder, Mizan Zaini.
"(They) told me before that they might take up government projects, but they have to 'fight' (compete). I told them 'you fight-lah' because that is a company matter, does not involve me. I'm a shareholder.
"It is up to the company to 'fight' and the 'fight' must follow proper government procedures," he said.
Wee said he was given an offer by Tan to invest 25 percent in an "IT company", so he forked up RM25,000 for the TCSens' paid-up capital of RM100,000.
"I trust my friends. That's all. I don't know business... He offered and I paid 25 percent and then, if we get something, God willing, we profit. That's all," he said.
Wee said he never benefited from the TCSens deal with the Transport Ministry and had, in fact, lost his RM25,000 investment by surrendering his stake, without any payment, sometime after the May 2018 election.
He said that by that time, TCSens was also losing money and had trouble paying the staff because the government had allegedly stopped paying the company.
Kiandee (PAC chairperson): Okay, you never received any benefit from the company?
Wee: No. Everything, no.
Kah Woh: Not even your RM25,000?
Wee: No.
Kah Woh: No?
Wee: Sudah rugi! (They lost money!)
Wee became increasingly irate and told the PAC chairperson that he was there to talk about the RC/VEP project and not about his personal dealings, prompting Kiandee to explain that the PAC was looking into the possibility of a conflict of interest.
Following this, Wee protested on grounds that the proceeding was done in bad faith at his expense.
"Are there MPs who are not in business? There are those in business. Why are you making assumptions about me? Ada salah sangka (You are jumping to conclusions)," he said, to which Kah Woh replied that the PAC was trying to establish the facts.
Wong Chen
However, the PAC members pressed on. Wong Chen (PKR-Kelana Jaya, now renamed Subang) said since the company won an RM145 million contract, the valuation for the company would have been enormous and suggested that had Wee cashed in his shares, he should rightfully have made a fortune.
Wee said that after the 2018 election, TCSens approached him for more funds because it couldn't pay the staff and that was when he threw in the towel and returned his shares for free.
"I told them, I cannot do anything. Please lah, you take back. If you want to find someone else or funds, pandai-pandailah. He said the government wasn't paying. I cannot do anything," he said.
Wee assured the PAC he had never once arranged for a meeting between TCSens' officials and the transport minister, who at the time was Liow, the MCA president.
He also gave his assurance that TCSens was not involved in any corporate social responsibility programmes in the Tanjung Piai constituency.
The PAC members were not satisfied and kept prying, to which Wee eventually relented and said Tan had once asked for him to introduce him to corporate figures involved in the "One Belt, One Road" project.
At this point, the PAC members started to accuse Wee of being more than a "sleeping partner", to which Wee protested again, stressing that he has nothing to do with the company's operations and that he knew nothing about business.
When Wong Chen asked for Wee's educational background, the latter said he had a degree in business management but again insisted that he knew nothing about business because he was a full-time politician.
An eye on the Belt and Road initiative
The principal owner of TCSens, Kenneth Tan or Tan Chean Suan, testified before the PAC on Oct 23, 2019. He explained that his company responded to a request for proposal (RFP) on the RC/VEP project sometime between 2013 and 2014.
When PAC members pressed him on the RFP process - what the government targets or guidelines were and who TCSens submitted its proposal to, among other questions - Tan struggled to come up with an answer.
For instance, Tan said, he had submitted a proposal at a "JPJ" branch at an "old building" and could not recall who received it. He requested that he be allowed to refer to his company documents for an answer.
He said his company one day received an email from the government for a "proof of concept" demonstration and that was how he won the contract.
When Tan was asked, specifically, if he approached Liow with the proposal, Tan replied in the negative.
"I don't involve anything in MCA. I didn't enter MCA building before. So I am not - I don't know anybody in MCA," he said.
Tan would later confirm to the PAC that he got to know Wee a decade ago when the latter was the deputy youth and sports minister.
The PAC established that Tan was 28 when he started TCSens. Tan said he held a diploma and had been an active trader. In 2008 or 2009, he was a subcontractor supplying 15 million RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags for CD labels to the Home Ministry.
Asked why he invited Wee to join TCSens as a shareholder. Tan said it had to do with the Belt and Road initiative.
"We don't want to involve any so-called politics into business. So, we getting him in actually was not for this. We were trying to get, to ask him to introduce us to the Belt and Road business.
"This is because that time, Belt and Road is very famous then. We were trying to have more business overseas. So, we just asked to introduce us only. When he came in, he just came in as a sleeping partner, or sleeping shareholder," Tan said.
Steven Choong (PKR-Tebrau) was not convinced. He said no one would invest in a company without a track record and pointed out that Tan "only have a diploma", with no software engineering experience.
Choong: What potential has this company got? I don't see any potential.
Tan: Our potential is RFID. I've told you that we have such good technology. Good system. You see if you say about qualification, I disagree. How about those millionaires, for example, Jack Ma? He doesn't have a good education but he has a successful business. Yang Berhormat, you can't attack me as personal saying that my education is not good... Many businessmen, they have no good education but they have good ideas on business.
Tan said he explained the company's potential to Wee and the latter was convinced.
Asked about TCSens former shareholder Mizal, better known as celebrity AC Mizal, Tan said he did not know that the former joined Umno in 2011.
He said that he got to know Mizal through Roslan because the duo had children who went to the same school.
The PAC eventually concluded that the RC/VEP project did not warrant the award of a contract without open tender.
They also concluded that there was political influence in the award of the contract and urged the MACC to investigate the matter.
DAP Youth lodged a police report yesterday urging the police to take action.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)